The present invention relates to improved compositions of chewing gum. More particularly, the invention relates to improving chewing gum by the use of specific bulking agents in sugar and non-sugar chewing gum products to give improved texture, moisture absorption properties, and improved shelf life properties. The improved chewing gum compositions may also be used in a variety of chewing gum products such as confectionery coated chewing gum products.
In recent years, efforts have been devoted to replace sugar and sugar syrups normally found in chewing gum with other carbohydrates and non-carbohydrates. Non-sugar or sugar-free chewing gum, which is growing in popularity, uses sugar alcohols or polyols to replace sugar and sugar syrups. The most popular polyols are sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. New polyols are being developed using new technology to replace these polyols. New polyols have various unique properties which can improve the taste, texture and shelf life properties of chewing gum for consumers.
The non-sugar polyols have the advantage of not contributing to dental caries of consumers, as well as being able to be consumed by diabetics. However, all polyols have the disadvantage of causing gastrointestinal disturbances if consumed in too great of a quantity. Therefore it would be a great advantage to be able to use a carbohydrate or carbohydrate-like food ingredient for chewing gum that would act as a bulking agent, but not contribute to dental caries nor cause gastrointestinal disturbances.
One such bulking agent is called gum talha, a natural gum derived from species of plants from the Acacia genus. Gum arabic is a another common natural gum derived from a different species of plants within the Acacia genus. Gum talha is approved for use in food products, including chewing gum, in the U.S. and other countries. Although a carbohydrate, gum talha is a natural gum that does not contribute to dental caries, nor does it cause gastro-intestinal disturbances. Thus, this ingredient's use in chewing gum could be a definite improvement.
The use of liquid and powder gum arabic in chewing gum was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,689. It was also disclosed in a non-sweet chewing gum in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,298. As a chewing gum binder, gum arabic was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,197 with hydrogenated starch hydrolyzates, in PCT Patent Publication No. WO95/08928 with erythritol, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 80-9177 with sorbitol, mannitol, and stevioside. Japanese Patent Publication No. 87-146562 disclosed using gum arabic to make a rice cake-like gum.
The use of gum arabic has been disclosed in various chewing gum or confectionery coating or panning applications. U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,663 discloses the use of gum arabic combined with a sucrose coating. U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,838, South Africa Patent Publication No. 87-2848, Great Britain Patent Publication No. 2,115,672, and European Patent Publication No. 0 625 311, disclose gum arabic combined with various polyols to make sugarless coatings. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,761 discloses applying gum arabic after an emulsifier subcoating. Also, sugarless coatings containing calcium chloride with gum arabic are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,766 and 4,786,511.
Gum arabic has been used in a wide variety of encapsulation applications. It is commonly used to emulsify and spray dry flavor compositions. European Patent Publication No. 0 545 632 discloses a spray dried flavor composition and European Patent Publication No. 0 455 598 discloses a microencapsulated flavor coated with gum arabic, and gluteraldehyde. U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,737 discloses gum arabic encapsulation of volatile liquids. U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,162 discloses a citrus oil in maltose and maltodextrin coated with gum arabic. Great Britain Patent Publication No. 1,472,787 discloses a flavor on a gum arabic carrier. Great Britain Patent No. 1,572,536 and PCT Patent Publication No. WO95/17104 disclose gum arabic as an encapsulating agent for aspartame. French Patent Publication No. 2,476,986 discloses vitamin C encapsulated with gum arabic.